--- abstract: In the study of systems the function of the system is often a good hint to how it works. In the following paper I would like to suggest that in studying or modeling a cognitive system our pre-knowledge of their functions should be treated carefully. We should focus on the statistical distribution of the system's environment and the ways this distribution affects the behavior and development of the cognitive system. I will show an example of how such a focus changes the view of the immune system. I would also like to show how this new outlook on the study of cognitive systems could affect attempts at creating artifcial cognitive system. altloc: - http://www.lucs.lu.se/ftp/pub/LUCS_Studies/LUCS94/Hershberg.pdf chapter: ~ commentary: ~ commref: ~ confdates: 'August 10-11, 2002' conference: 'Second International Workshop on Epigenetic Robotics: Modeling Cognitive Development in Robotic Systems' confloc: 'Edinburgh, Scotland' contact_email: ~ creators_id: [] creators_name: - family: Hershberg given: Uri honourific: '' lineage: '' date: 2002 date_type: published datestamp: 2003-10-04 department: ~ dir: disk0/00/00/25/10 edit_lock_since: ~ edit_lock_until: ~ edit_lock_user: ~ editors_id: [] editors_name: - family: Prince given: Christopher G. honourific: '' lineage: '' - family: Demiris given: Yiannis honourific: '' lineage: '' - family: Marom given: Yuval honourific: '' lineage: '' - family: Kozima given: Hideki honourific: '' lineage: '' - family: Balkenius given: Christian honourific: '' lineage: '' eprint_status: archive eprintid: 2510 fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/application_pdf.png;/2510/1/Hershberg.pdf full_text_status: public importid: ~ institution: ~ isbn: ~ ispublished: pub issn: ~ item_issues_comment: [] item_issues_count: 0 item_issues_description: [] item_issues_id: [] item_issues_reported_by: [] item_issues_resolved_by: [] item_issues_status: [] item_issues_timestamp: [] item_issues_type: [] keywords: 'environment, immune system, cognitive systems' lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:55:03 latitude: ~ longitude: ~ metadata_visibility: show note: ~ number: ~ pagerange: 43-46 pubdom: TRUE publication: ~ publisher: Lund University Cognitive Studies refereed: TRUE referencetext: ~ relation_type: [] relation_uri: [] reportno: ~ rev_number: 12 series: ~ source: ~ status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:45:19 subjects: - comp-sci-art-intel succeeds: ~ suggestions: ~ sword_depositor: ~ sword_slug: ~ thesistype: ~ title: Proposing a new focus for the study of natural and artificial cognitive systems type: confposter userid: 3507 volume: 94